Oh yes, it is a small world – especially when you connect the dots on the Internet. Bloomberg writer Vernon Silver illuminated what happens when spyware is installed on a person’s computer. It’s done so quickly and almost without notice that the victim doesn’t realize until later that they have become a victim.

The victim in the Bloomberg article was a law student who was a political activist. The spyware was installed on an email attachment that he thought was coming from someone he knew. Once he opened it and saw it was scrambled data, he knew something wasn’t right.

His email account was hacked and his whereabouts were being tracked. He was even physically assaulted twice, although he is not certain the assaults and the hacking are really related, except that his whereabouts were known.

The source of the spyware was traced around the world and the number of users vulnerable to inadvertent installation of spyware is unknown – but huge.

As a provider of computer forensics consulting, we are seeing spyware and its use move from mostly being seen in corporate or organizational espionage to individuals being targeted by disgruntled co-workers and between individuals in troubled relationships or during break-ups and divorce. Computer forensics services are even being performed in cases of stalking, child custody and nasty fights between friends.